


Gem

by sunalso



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-15 00:56:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8036041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunalso/pseuds/sunalso
Summary: Oz has second thoughts





	Gem

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flootzavut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flootzavut/gifts).



Oz looked down at the ring in his hand.

The Gem of Amara.

It made a vampire almost invincible. They couldn’t be staked or burnt. They could walk in sunlight. It sounded like Spike had almost been able to beat Buffy while he’d been wearing it.

Oz slumped in the driver’s seat of his idling van and rolled the ugly ring between his fingers. The Scoobies wanted to give it to Angel.

Buffy, well, Oz could understand. She still loved Angel for whatever mysterious reason woman loved men who hurt them.

It was the Watcher Oz didn’t get. Angel and his slippery soul. If it came detached, then people would die.Giles knew that better than anyone. Handing over invincibility to someone capable of true evil did not sound like the thoughtful actions of a sane individual.

Had Giles been drunk? The apartment had smelt more than a little like booze to Oz’s sensitive nose.

Heaving a sigh, Oz turned off the van’s engine and walked to the roadside stand run by an aging hippie.

“You have any rings?”

****

Oz handed over the Gem to Angel.

“Buffy wants you to keep it safe. Make sure some vamp like Spike doesn’t get their mitts on it.” Oz shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled thinly.

“Yeah.” Angel leaned on the table, bracing himself on his knuckles. “Yeah. I got it.”

Oz shrugged. “It might be better if even you didn’t know where it was.”

“Yeah.”

****

Angel looked at the ring. Just one test, just one, and he’d put it away where no one would ever be able to find it.

He slipped it onto his finger.

And stepped out into the sunlight.


End file.
